shattering glass
by BlackArmor1066
Summary: The agents travel to Scotland investigating a rare psychiatric disorder that is believed to be caused by an artifact.  this is chapter one, go easy I'm new at writing, let me know if I should post the rest


It was a typical morning at the B&B. The dining room smelt of a fresh home made breakfast and the agents gathered around the table. Claudia wondered in late and sat in her normal seat. She looked around the room and spotted Leena exiting the kitchen carrying a tray of fruit. Pete and Myka were sitting across from her arguing about something childish Pete brought up. As she bit into a piece of toast Artie entered the room carrying his worn leather brief case. Throwing it down on the table he sat down and pored himself a cup of coffee. He opened his brief case and passed out the standard gray folders pertaining to a case. Claudia felt shocked when he pulled a 3rd one from his case and passed it to her.

"Im going on this mission?" she asked with excitement

"Yes" Artie replied "although against my better judgment you need more field experience"

"Awesome" we are going to Scotland" Pete said as he thumbed through the folder.

'Don't skip ahead Pete" Artie said

"Well what's the Case?" Claudia asked

Artie finished a gump of coffee and shot Claudia an irritated look.

"In the past five weeks several residents in the City of Glasgow have come down with a mysterious psychiatric disorder" Artie said to the group.

"Its says here it is called the Glass Delusion" Myka said pointing at the folder.

"Yes" Artie said "The sufferer suddenly become paranoid and believes that he or she is made out of glass and become obsessed with the fear that they will shatter into pieces. Most famously King Charles VI of France suffered from it until his death in 1422"

"Ive never heard of anything like this" Claudia said

"That's because there hasn't been a single recorded case of this since the middle ages" Artie said.

"And now there have been five cases in five weeks all in Glasgow?" Myka asked.

"So there is some kind of artifact that is making people think they are made of glass?" Pete said.

"See you already have it figured out, you don't even need me here" Artie said. As he exited the room.

Believe it or not a flight to Glasgow from South Dakota isn't easy. After a taking off from Sioux Falls with a lay over in Chicago the agents found them self at JFK airport in New York waiting on a six hours lay over before their flight left for Scotland.

"I'm so bored" Claudia exclaimed while flipping through a copy of Skymall.

"Why does we discuss this case" Myka suggested

"I'm going to go to the Cinnabon" Pete said getting up

"Sit down Pete" Myka said in a scolding manner.

"Fine" Pete said "But this would be much more enjoyable with a delicious cinnamon bun"

"Focus Pete" Myka said in an annoyed manner

"Anyways" Claudia interrupted.

"Right" Myka said "I think we should start by visiting the people effected by the artifact"

"Where do we find them?" Claudia asked

"They are at various psychiatric hospitals around Glasgow" Myka answered.

"Oh I see" Claudia replied. "So Pete How about that Cinnabon" she said jumping up and walking down the terminal.

"Did I say something to upset her?" Myka asked

"Well she did spend time locked up in a mental institute" Pete said, "I think id idea of going to one is upsetting to her"

"What do we do?" Myka asked.

"Nothing" Pete replied, "That's a fear she is going to have to conquer on her own"

A chill went up Claudia's spine as she entered the Psychiatric hospital. It didn't matter where on earth you went all hospital look the same she though. Even though Pete and Myka were with her and she was carrying a Tesla she still felt very uneasy. As they entered the wing they saw no patients, just nurses and techs dressed in scrubs wondering the hall from room to room. Approaching the Nurses station Myka flashed her badge at a young nurse in her 30s

"Hi, we are looking for the doctor who is treating Lisa Cullen" Myka said

"The agents stood outside Lisa Cullen's room, her doctor was a gray haired man in his late 50's.

"You know I'm not really supposed to be talking to you about Ms Cullen. Only family is allowed to know the details of patients illness and treatment" The Doctor said in a thick Scottish accent.

"We are just here to help" Pete assured the doctor.

"If its ok could you give us some information on her" Myka asked.

"Well she a 23 year old university student. She was admitted here two weeks ago, her symptoms officially started three weeks ago" The doctor said

"What is she diagnosed with?" Claudia asked

"Schizophrenia" Replied the doctor "Although it is a strange manifestation the delusions and paranoia points to it also her age fits with the typical time of onset for a schizophrenic"

"Does she have a job" Myka asked

"Umm I believe she is a secretary at a local museum" The doctor said

The agents exchanged looks all knowing that they were thinking the same thing.

"Would you like to try and speak to her?" asked the doctor

As the door opened Claudia looked in and saw a white room devoid of color, floor and walls padded with cushions.

" I know this may look a bit extreme but her delusions are causing her to believe that she is made of glass. A padded room is the only room she will stay in. When we had her in a standard hospital room she would stand in the corner for hours motionless fearing that if she moved or walking on the tile floor she would shatter" The doctor stated.

Entering the room they found Lisa Cullen sitting motionless in the far corner of the room staring blankly into space. Before Pete or Myka could say anything to the young woman they heard the door slam open. They turned to see Claudia running down the hallway toward the exit.

Pete found Claudia sitting outside on the hood of their car. She looked upset but was not crying. Walking over he leaned up against the car next to her.

"I don't like it in there" Claudia said

"Yeah, I know" Pete replied.

"Its just that…well I mean…look…" Claudia said stammering.

"Its fine" Pete said "You don't have to explain, we didn't expect this would be easy for you"

Claudia let out a heavy sigh and looked over at Pete who was leaned up against the care facing the opposite direction.

"How many more do we have to visit" She asked

"Four" Pete answered pushing himself up off the car.

Pete walked across the parking lot toward Myka who was walking out of the front doors of the hospital.

"She tell you anything?" Pete asked

"No nothing" she answered

After spending the whole day visiting Psychiatric hospitals and interviewing Doctors and family members the agents were just as lost as they were at the beginning.

Sitting in their hotel room Myka sat at the desk speaking with Artie on the Farnsworth.

"Is there anything linking the victims?" Artie asked

"Not that I can see" Myka Answered "One was a secretary in a museum, the other a delivery driver, another worked at an auction house, one a maid, and the last a electrician. None of them knew each other and they show no link to any one object"

"Well keep looking, you are looking for an artifact from the middle ages specifically the 1300's" Artie said

"Hey guys I think I might have something" Claudia said

She said behind them on the bed working on her lap top. Typing quickly and clicking on various links Pete and Myka knew she was doing something they would never be able to under stand.

"Care to share with the class" Artie said from the Farnsworth screen.

"Ok well" Claudia explained "I just wrote a program to compare all the victims. Our fourth victim works as a maid for a man names Sir William Abbott. He owns a huge mansion at the edge of the city and is a well known collected of antiquities from the middle ages. He recently bought several items from an auction house where our seconds victim was employed. The items were transported to his mansion by our third victim the delivery driver. And these items were originally housed at the Edinburgh Museum where our first victim Ms Cullen worked"

"That's brilliant Claudia" Myka exclaimed

"Wait what about the fifth victim, the electrician?" Pete asked

"He recently did electrical work at Sir William Abbott's mansion" Claudia answered.

"Well I think its safe to say you need to pay this William Abbott a visit" Myka said


End file.
